India reported at least 40 suspected heat-related deaths on Friday, with 25 of them among staff deployed for Lok Sabha poll duty in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, amidst heatwave conditions affecting a significant portion of the country.
India is witnessing contrasting weather conditions across the states currently while Delhi and neighbouring states are suffering from heatwave conditions, Assam is reeling under floods and incessant rains have lashed parts of Kerala due to the onset of south west monsoon.
Delhi experienced a sudden shift in weather on Saturday afternoon as a dust storm swept through the city accompanied by a cloudy sky.
The change in the weather brought some relief for the city, which has been experiencing severe heatwave conditions for the last five days.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted earlier that due to western disturbances, the national capital might experience a change in weather, including cloudy skies, a dust storm or a thunderstorm with very light rain accompanied by gusty winds.
The weather office said the maximum temperature in the city is likely to settle around 43 degrees Celsius.
India reported at least 40 suspected heat-related deaths on Friday, with 25 of them among staff deployed for Lok Sabha poll duty in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, amidst heatwave conditions affecting a significant portion of the country.
According to officials, heat-related deaths were also reported from Odisha (10), Bihar (8), Jharkhand (4), and Uttar Pradesh (1) on Thursday. Rajasthan has reported at least five heat-related deaths thus far.
Among the fatalities recorded on Friday, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest with 17 deaths, followed by Bihar with 14, Odisha with five, and Jharkhand with four. Officials in Jharkhand stated that over 1,300 people are hospitalized with heatstroke conditions.
Overall, the IMD said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions prevailed over many parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh; in some parts of Bihar, east Madhya Pradesh; in isolated pockets of Odisha, Jharkhand.
Heatwave conditions also prevailed in some parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha, West Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Heat wave conditions have been prevailing over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.
These conditions are likely to alleviate during the next two-three days, the India Meteorological Department said the prevailing heatwave.
Temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius were recorded in 13 locations across Odisha, alongside high humidity levels. In response, the state government advised people to stay indoors from 11 am to 3 pm for the next three days.
According to the IMD's Bhubaneswar centre, Titlagarh town registered the highest temperature in the state at 46.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Bolangir (46.4), Sonepur (46.2) and Bargarh (46).
The IMD centre has issued a heatwave warning for several districts including Bolangir, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Nuapada, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Boudh, and Kandhamal for Saturday.
Additionally, hot and humid weather conditions are anticipated in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, and Keonjhar districts on June 1.
Two days after the Southwest Monsoon's early onset over Kerala, heavy rains swept through various parts of the state, causing landslides, tree uprooting, and waterlogging.
Since Friday night, Kottayam, Idukki, and sections of Ernakulam have experienced significant rainfall.
There have been reports of landslides and tree uprooting in the Poochapra and Kolappra areas of Idukki, an interior hill district. Though some homes and vehicles sustained damage, there were no reported casualties, according to local sources.
Due to the potential risk of mudslides, traffic restrictions were enforced along the Thodupuzha-Puliyanmala state highway.
As five shutters of the Malankara Dam in Idukki were opened, district authorities cautioned residents living along the banks of the Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers to be vigilant.
With various parts of the neighbouring Kottayam district receiving downpour, people living close to Meenachal and Manimala rivers were also urged to remain vigilant.
Incessant rains that battered several parts of Kottayam for hours since last evening caused waterlogging and traffic snarls.
The flood situation in Assam remains severe, affecting over 3.5 lakh people across 11 districts, officials stated on Saturday.
Road and rail communication in various parts of the state remained disrupted due to incessant rain following cyclone 'Remal'.
In the worst-hit Cachar district, all educational institutions were closed on Saturday due to the prevailing weather conditions, with scheduled exams proceeding as planned.
Nearly 3.5 lakh people were affected across several districts, as per the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
Approximately 30,000 individuals sought refuge in relief camps, with rescue agencies evacuating vulnerable areas.
Cachar district was most affected with 1,19,997 people impacted, followed by Nagaon (78,756), Hojai (77,030), and Karimganj (52,684).
The death toll since May 28 due to floods, rain, and storms has reached 12.
Incessant rains disrupted rail and road communications in Barak Valley and Dima Hasao. Part of the national highway in Meghalaya was washed away, cutting off road communication in Barak Valley. Several trains were canceled or short-terminated, according to a Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson.
The southwest monsoon entered Assam and other northeastern states earlier than scheduled due to Cyclone Remal, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms have been forecasted in different districts of the state.